Monster Energy Drink Fights Cardiac Arrest Death Lawsuit

Monster Beverage is responding to a lawsuit that alleges its energy drinks were responsible for a 14-year-old Maryland girl’s death.

The lawsuit filed last year by the family of Anais Fournier, said the girl went into cardiac arrest after drinking two, 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy drinks in a 24-hour period. This is one of five lawsuits the Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating that link Monster beverages to death.

The company hired a team of physicians to review the medical records in the case and found that Anais likely died from pre-existing heart conditions, and not “caffeine toxicity” as was original suggested. The physicians found no medical evidence that show caffeine was a factor in the death. Maryland’s chief medical examiner had listed the cause of death on the autopsy as “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity” in the presence of a heart condition.

Monster has stood by the safety of its drinks, which it says contain 240 milligrams of caffeine for a 24-ounce can, compared with 330 milligrams in a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee. The company says its target market is 18 to 34 years old, but that its drinks are safe for children.